Republican Members of Congress are Acting Unamerican

Conservatives have for decades held themselves up as the heirs to America’s founding ideals and intents. On the Supreme Court, conservative darling Scalia described himself an “originalist,” implying fealty to the true meaning of the Constitution (and by extension implying our Constitutional Framers would have approved of handgun-wielding pro-torture anti-“homosexual agenda” CEO’s dumping cash into federal elections).

This real-Americans-are-conservative argument is furthered by Republican elected officials and voters to great effect. Republicans wrap themselves on the flag, claim “freedom” as a conservative value, and wear tricorn hats to rallies.

Conservatives are no more American than progressives. And these days, Republican elected officials are acting genuinely unamerican in myriad ways.

An exploration of Progressive ties to fundamentally American concepts and documents will be expanded in the coming days. In the meantime, we wanted to get a couple relevant Declaration of Independence thoughts started in anticipation of Resistance Recess. Establishing that Republican members of Congress are acting in fundamentally unamerican ways – and betraying the American people by doing so – is important to establish now in preparation for 2018 midterm elections.

The Muslim Ban: We know Trump’s Muslim Ban is unconstitutional thanks to the Federal Courts. It is also fundamentally unamerican. One of the Declaration of Independence’s listed grievances reads: “[The king] has … obstruct[ed] the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither.” Allowing, and even welcoming, immigrants was declared fundamentally American on the date every school child knows: July 4, 1776. It is hard to get more American than that.

Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee: President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court after Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared – nearly a year before the end of President Obama’s second term – he would not allow consideration of any Obama Supreme Court nominee. Many compellingly argue that McConnell, and with him nearly the entire Republican Senate caucus, abdicated his sworn constitutional duties by refusing to consider the president’s Garland nomination. Republican inaction was an unamerican in other ways too: one of the Declaration of Independence’s listed grievances states “[The king] has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.” A well-functioning judiciary is an integral part of America. Republican’s intentionally impeded a fully functioning judiciary for partisan political gain. We should not let go of our disgust and outrage and should demand Judge Garland receive a hearing. Anything else rewards power to those engaging in unconstitutional behavior and betrayal of the American people.